Method and apparatus for buffing a tire sidewall
US5179806A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 29, 1991 |
| Grant date | Jan 19, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 29, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB24B7/30
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for removing material from the sidewall of a tire. The apparatus may be used for removing the thin layer of black rubber that normally covers the white letters or white stripe of the sidewall of a newly cured tire, and for buffing the surfaces of such white letters or stripes to give them a smooth finish. The apparatus may also be used for buffing black portions of a tire sidewall to give those portions a smooth finish. The apparatus includes a cutting device and a sensor mounted on a moveable carriage. The sensor measures the distance between the cutting device and a portion of the tire sidewall adjacent to the portion to be buffed. As the tire rotates while it is being buffed, the carriage moves in response to the sensor's measurement toward or away from the tire sidewall, so that the cutting device removes material at a constant height relative to the adjacent portion of the sidewall.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.